The Day His Smile Disappeared Part 4 The funeral
by Elentari the Fair
Summary: I know I know...evil chapter part to website...but..I HAD to update...I was in a bad mood, and this somehow makes me feel better... Please R&R...


It was sunday. Funeral day...burial day. Adrian had been fearing this day more than any other day lately. He knew that this was it. The final bang. Today they would be burying his wife underneath six feet of soil. It was so...permanent.

He was sitting in the front of the Church with Trudys parents on his right, and Stottlemyer on his left, and Christie right behind him. He knew he was surrounded by people that cared, but he felt so alone. He barely listend to the priests words during the Mass. The only part he paid attention to, was when Dwight got up to say a few words about his daughter.

"My Friends.." he started. "Trudy was a big part of our lives. She touched every member of this family. I can tell by the number of people here, she touched all of you too. Through her amazing charity work, she could touch hundreds of people. She was beautiful and extreamly kind. She was an amazing daughter, and made me..." He was beginning to choke up then "And her mother Marcia very proud. Every day of her life. She made us proud. Thank you." He stepped shakily off the Alter and sat down next to Adrian and Marcia as she began to sob. Her husband put his arms around her and hugged her. Then the preist said in a rumbling deep voice. "Now. Adrian Monk..her husband would like to say a few words."

Stottlemyer looked at him in total shock. This was compleatly out of character for him. He remembered the day Adrian became a got promoted from street cop to a dectective. He never even made a speech about it. He was too embarrased.

Adrian looked uncertainly at Stottlemyer and stood up shakily. He looked around. The small Church was packed with people. Everyone was in black. The closed casket was in the middle of the aisle. He looked at Dwight from the podieum in front of the Alter. He looked much older than his fifty three years. Adrian also cast eyes to Trudy's mother, Marcia. She was wearing a black dress with black gloves with a black mesh veil over her face. She was still crying, but the sobs had stopped. Dwights arm was around her shoulders. Monk noticed that the white cloth on top of the casket was uneven. He wanted to go fix it, but he knew that it would be inaproprite for now. Maybe he could get it later.

"Hello everyone. My name is Adrian Monk. I was..no...I am the lucky man who was married to Trudy. We were married for a wonderful seven years. I loved her so much. I still do love her. It's as if my heart was torn out and stepped on by this. She amazed me. Simply astounded me. Every day...was beautiful..." He choked up and closed his eyes and said simply. "I'm sorry...I...I can't finish...I'm so sorry." He quickly stepped off the Alter and went into his seat and cast his eyes down to the floor.

Dwight looked at him in total understanding. Marcia reached over and patted a hand on his shoulder gently. Christie turned around and clapped his other shoulder, and Stottlemyer just whispered "That was good enough buddy."

About an hour later, most of the funeral goers stood around the gravesite. Some of course had gone right home, Some people were crying, some silent. The preist said his final words of parting. Adrian, Dwight, Marcia, and a few of Trudys friends all had a white rose. One by one, they threw a rose on top of the casket being lowered into the earth. After the first inital shovelfulls of earth were thrown on top of the Coffin, people started to leave. One by one until only Dwight and Adrian remained. Marcia had left for home already, allowing the men a word of privacy. Dwight would ride with Adrian, or vice versa.

For several minutes neither said a word as they both stared into that grave. Finally Dwight looked up and noticed that Adrian was crying again. Dwight allowed his own tear to run down the side of his face. He reached over and hugged him. Like a drowning man in that one last frenzied attempt to get to safety, Adrian hugged him back and wept into his coat. Dwight held him close like a father would hold his child. "Oh..Trudy...." Adrian said his voice muffled.

"I know son...I know...shhh..." Dwight was crying too now..."It's okay...it's alright my son...it's hard on all of us. It's hard on all of us..."


End file.
